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Octavo (book)

 

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Octavo (book)



 
 
Octavo (usually abbreviated 8vo, 8°, 8o, 8MO, or Oct.) is a book size
Book size

The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers.However, in bookbinding, printing, and publishing, a series of terms are used to indicate the approximate size of a book....
 resulting from the use of standard size sheets of paper folded three times to make eight leaves. Each leaf is usually printed on each side, so this creates a signature of 16 pages in total. It was introduced by Aldus Manutius
Aldus Manutius

Aldus Pius Manutius , the Latinized name of Teobaldo Mannucci, sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius the Younger) was an Italian Renaissance humanism who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice....
 of Venice, when he produced Virgil's Opera in the octavo format, in 1501, in order to facilitate portable reading for men of leisure.






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Octavo (usually abbreviated 8vo, 8°, 8o, 8MO, or Oct.) is a book size
Book size

The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers.However, in bookbinding, printing, and publishing, a series of terms are used to indicate the approximate size of a book....
 resulting from the use of standard size sheets of paper folded three times to make eight leaves. Each leaf is usually printed on each side, so this creates a signature of 16 pages in total. It was introduced by Aldus Manutius
Aldus Manutius

Aldus Pius Manutius , the Latinized name of Teobaldo Mannucci, sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius the Younger) was an Italian Renaissance humanism who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice....
 of Venice, when he produced Virgil's Opera in the octavo format, in 1501, in order to facilitate portable reading for men of leisure. The modern general use of the term refers to books which are between 8" and 10" (20-25 cm) tall, the most common size for modern hardbound books. More specific sizes can be denoted by:

  • Foolscap octavo (6¾" by 4¼")
  • Crown octavo (7½" by 5")
  • Demy octavo (8¾" by 5?")
  • Royal octavo (10" by 6¼")


See also


  • quarto
    Quarto

    Quarto could refer to:Texts:* A Quarto is a Bookbinding#Terms and techniques and publishing, and the books of the resulting size, when four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper...
  • folio
    Folio

    Folio may refer to:* In bookbinding,** A sheet of paper, parchment, or other material folded in half to make two leaves in a codex.** Mainly for manuscripts, a leaf ....
  • Bookbinding
    Bookbinding

    Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It also usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block....
  • Book size
    Book size

    The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers.However, in bookbinding, printing, and publishing, a series of terms are used to indicate the approximate size of a book....